Hope For The Future
by Issue No 2708786
Summary: Arlong has hope for his future, it came from somewhere he never thought was possible.


The large blue fishman sat of a deck chair overlooking the town, the same town that he overtook years ago; now it was no longer his, nor was he a pirate.

At his defeat over three years ago he and his crew were in ruin, they left his side to pursue another way of life. The East Blue waters were a lot calmer than the Grand Line, many settled down making businesses for themselves, others still returned to their homeland.

Arlong glance down at the newspaper that was resting on his lap, a newspaper that came from Fishermen Island, it took a month their paper to reach his hand. So this was old news; it seemed that Straw Hat the man who caused his downfall that saved his people.

"Disgusting human..." Arlong growls out as he threw the newspaper on the table besides him.

"Who is papa?" A little fishgirl asks as she stares up at the large creature that was her father.

"No one." Arlong says as he turned his gaze back to the town; they did not forgive him, or so they said and yet they allowed him to live there. Suddenly a brown bag swung around of nowhere and sit Arlong at the back of his head, it made him lean forward but other than that it did little damage.

Nojiko drops the bag of oranges down beside the deck chair smirking at the overgrown fish.

"What are you moaning about here?" Nojiko asks as she continue to smirk at the fishman.

"Nothing." Arlong replies firmly, as he glance to the oranges she forces him to eat every day. He leans back into the chair and stares at the woman as she walks over and picks the young fishgirl up.

It was strange, if someone told him a few years ago that he was allow a human to touch his child he would have killed them. But here he was, watching as a human woman played with his little girl.

His daughter was just under two, had his colour skin but her hair was the same light colour of her mother's. She did not get his nose, instead a small little button one. Her gills were starting to show which made his sigh in relief, he thought his daughter would not get many when she was first born.

"You're helping me with the sales tomorrow." Nojiko informs as she comes back to him, "We doing well with our business and should start thinking about a new field."

Arlong closes his eyes and listens to everything about him; when he lost he crawled out from the remains of his empire and came to be a the feet of this woman. She ordered that he was to be taken to her home, where he thought he was going to die. However Nojiko nursed him back to help, even after he refused to eat anything her gave him.

"_Why are you helping me_?" Arlong asked long ago, "_ME who destroyed everything of yours_?"

"_Because I'm not __**like **__you_!" Nojiko answers him with a humble smile that did not fit of the human's face.

It was after that he soften himself towards the human woman, and after getting proper help he began to heal both body, mind and heart. The town's people watched as he passed them by as he was leaving for go.

When he was leaving he notices pirates docked, the captain had been dragging Nojiko by her hair behind him as he walked. The people were quick to act that they were no match for these pirates. Nojiko was forced into the lap of the captain as he sat down outside the local bar, he held her neck and pull her mouth to his, his hands roamed her body.

It was when that Arlong slaps and he charged at the pirate captain. These pirates had fallen easier at his hand; Nojiko was fearful after that and wouldn't let anyone touch her other than Arlong.

And so Arlong stayed a little longer. He never left.

"Did you hear me?" Nojiko asks as she pick up her daughter and raises a eyebrow at her husband.

"Yes Nojiko." Arlong answers with a cold glare, yet it did not hold the same hate as it did all those years ago, "I'll do something about that."

"Good." Nojiko says with a smirk as she came and drops their daughter down on his lap, "And brings those crates with you next time."

"..." Arlong said nothing as he patted his daughter's head, his wife came and sat down on his other leg; "I have such a demanding wife..."

"Darn right." Nojiko replies as she smiles at him brightly, she reaches down into the bag and pulls out a orange and peels it quickly. She then hold it out for him to eat, Arlong's powerful jaws open and gently he took the offered fruit with his teeth.

"Why are you sucking up to me?" Arlong asks knowing that she only gave him her beloved oranges when she knew he was ill or when she wanted something from him.

"How do you feel about having another child?" Nojiko questions as she studies his face.

"..." Arlong glances at his first born daughter, while she was an accident from a strange night he could not think of life without her or Nojiko now, "Sure. I don't mind having a big family."

"Hear that Belle," Nojiko says turning to her excited daughter, "You're going to have a little brother or sister." Belle cheers loudly and hugs on to her mothers tighten, clearly pleased at this; a odd smile came upon Nojiko's lips, "I wonder what Nami would have about this...?"

Arlong snorted through his nose, he knew she loved her sister greatly but kept saying that things like Nami would never forgive her when she finds out. Belle jumps off her father's lap and starts running around playing once again; not knowing that she being the cross between two kinds, and that she had a very hard life ahead of her.

"When she comes back we'll tell her." Arlong says after a while, he stares over at his daughter watching her play happily, "Or I and Belle or the rest of our children can hide out of sight. Fishmen normally hide from humans since days of old; I don't see a time when humans will allow us to be there equal in my life time. We are still view as slaves to the people of the world."

"Thank you." Nojiko says with a sad smile, unlike her mother who had been proud to show off her daughters, she could not show hers off in fear of what the people say. Arlong down on paper, was Nojiko's slaves but they held a private wedding that only a few knew about.

Arlong gaze up at his wife she had tears coming down her cheeks, she had no move to wipe them away and he did not feel he should. He just allowed her to softy cry it out. He blinks to the town, they knew of Belle thinking that it was a one off thing they let it pass. How would they react to another child. Arlong glares down, he would stand his ground to anything that Nojiko said. Even if it would kill him later.

Husband and wife sat in silence watching their hope for the future running and smiling at them.


End file.
